Getting the Speed Right in Putting

Practice
#1

Coming around to the oft-cited principle that speed is everything in putting. So how do you control it or work on it? I like the ladder drill and just generally working on lag putting.

Here’s something that seems to help that I just started: read the green, read the putt (based off perfect speed, which equals 6-18” past), align your ball, decide on the line, and from that point on you are thinking of NOTHING BUT SPEED. No technical thoughts, not “trying to hit your line” (that will just happen, and if not you can work on grooving a better stroke in practice, but not on the course), and just focus 100% on speed. Use your eyes to judge the speed, and roll it the right speed.

Beyond that, what do you all have to add? Obviously consistent center contact is crucial. Anyone using a system, like Bryson’s of how far you take the putter back, or thinking of an actual MPH you need to hit the putt? Any type of stroke that helps you (accelerating, equal back and through stroke, or back stroke longer than follow through)? Trying to “roll” it rather than “hit” it?

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#2

The only thing I can add is just trust it and smack it. The worst putts I’ll ever hit are the ones I second guess when the stroke is halfway back.

#3

I really want to develop better speed control over the next few months… my basic plan is going to be to stake out a large flat section of putting green… measure out 10, 15 and 20 feet and just drill hitting inside a certain target zone (probably a 4 foot circle) until I’m confident and consistent.

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#4

Here is an easy to set up drill, that you can make as difficult as you want by choosing different slopes, putting up a tier or down a tier, etc.

Set tees at 20, 30,40,50, and 60 feet from the hole. The goal is to hit 3 putts from 20 feet, that each come to rest within 3 feet of the hole. If you make it in 3 tries great, if not count how many it takes,… then move to 30 feet and repeat the process. If you are “perfect” it will take you 15 balls total. When I work with college teams we start the year with the goal being 18 or less.

If you are really data oriented, you can do the drill one time per week, and then track your performance week after week, to see your improvement.

IF it is tooo tough, set up a 4 foot circle around the hole instead of 3… until you get better.

My suggestion it to work on distance control starting around 20 feet, since most golfers with HCPs greater than 10 tend to start 3 putting around 25 feet. Good luck and have fun.

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#5

Couple of other things to think about: does a firmer (solid steel) or softer (polymer insert) putter face help you control distance?

Also: what is the “perfect” speed? Final resting spot the front edge of the hole (aka “die it in”), back of the hole, 6” past, 18” past? Or is it shot dependent? Like you’d want to die it in the front edge on a fast downhill putt but hit it 18” past on an uphill putt? Is the perfect speed faster on a short putt where you don’t feel confident in the read so you just take the break out and bang it home? I get that your mindset might be different on different putts, but shouldn’t there be, based on physics, math, and statistics, an ideal speed and distance for every putt (for example, you might be focused on a spot past the hole on an uphill putt and a spot short of the hole on a downhill putt, but wouldn’t the ideal final resting point be the same, i.e. 6” past)?

#6

Great drill, JTG. Thanks. Any penalties for coming up short, as those obviously have no chance of going in? Or bonus points for only going 6”-18” past (essentially a gimme, as opposed to a knee-knocker from 3-4’)? Or is it just all about getting it within that 3’ circle from 20 feet out?

#7

It is just about getting it in the 3 foot circle.

#8

You mentioned solid steel or softer polymer inserts…

Here is something to think about… the soft polymer insert will CAVE IN after time and make it harder to hit the ball the correct distance. I had that happen to me with a Callaway Odyssey Marxman putter several years back. A high definition camera noticed it. I asked the Callaway tour rep at a PGA event about this, and he said it happens often with the LPGA players who practice a lot. And for me to just send it back and they will replace it. This was in about 2008-2009.

#9

That’s probably my problem… stupid soft insert.

#10

I believe that putting (& the short game) are about feel rather than mechanical perfection, I also prefer to die at the hole than run it past. A good drill that I have used is as follows: set up for a 5 foot put but without a ball, look at the hole and make a practice swing whilst still concentrating on looking at the hole. Make 5 practice swings and then put a ball in place and use the same looking at the hole stroke. I was sceptical but couldn’t believe how many puts went in. Once you have done a few at this distance move back away from the hole.

#11

Great drill, thanks for sharing!

#13

Putting is incredibly personal and mental, probably more so than any other part of the game and that’s why no two people putt the same. You can practice speed and have a system for getting the line, but everybody is going to be unique in finding how best to translate those things in the brain to an output for the muscles. Glad you found something that works for you!

#15

System is probably the wrong term (or at least winds up with a loaded meaning). Process is better, even if the process is subconscious. Point being simply that everyone needs to figure out what works best for them.
People who play with me would probably describe me as a “just roll the ball to the damn hole” putter, so I’m right with you there :smiley:

#16

I think process is the right word for it, and something I’m working on improving for myself… I had never spent much time on the practice greens and was just sort of a “hit it and move on” golfer, with average to mediocre results.

As I started to improve the rest of my game, my putting stayed below average and became the bottleneck for better scoring.

Unfortunately, you can’t force your way into being a better putter. Bryson might have the time and resources to build a scientific putt (I both believe he has a putting formula and that it works) but for most of us putting is always going to be a game of instinct.

I think you can build better processes around it (good setup, right equipment, consistent stroke) but you still have to roll the ball well… I’m planning on spending the next few weeks working on building better “feel” for distance targets, not so I can walk off a twenty foot putt and know my “20 foot swing” but simply to work on ingraining distance control into my body and know what a 20 foot swing feels like.

#17

Putting and chipping are the two things amateurs spend little time on. It’s also where the majority of our score comes from. I spend the most time putting. I break my practice down in 1/4’s. 1/4 of the time chipping and pitching, 1/4 of the time full/half swings. 1/2 time putting.

As of late I’ve been working mostly on speed and not so much focusing on line. I’ve figured if my speed is good, the line really doesn’t matter. Most of my first putts are still outside 15-20ft so the make percentage is already really low (15%-25%). So knowing that, why put unnecessary pressure on myself (took me a long time to realize this). Instead get it within three feet for the second putt and walk away with a stress free two putt.

Before my realization, I would put so much pressure on myself to make the putt, that, statistically wasn’t really makeable. That stress then causes me to manipulate my putter stroke, resulting in poor speed control. So lately, I’ve been taking three balls spaced between 3 and 5 feet from each other and putting to a distance between 20-35ft. I put a tee gate of 3 feet from left to right and an alignment rod past the tees by 3 feet. The only objective is to get all three balls into the gate and not hit the alignment rod. This keeps me three feet on all sides. Definitely don’t want to be short. This has helped me tremendously with speed control and not worrying so much about “making” the first putt. Eventually the first putts will fall but you have to dial in the big misses.

My opinion

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#18

This has been my kryptonite. I need to focus on good process and hitting good long putts and not worry about the immediate result.

Eliminating three putts is #1

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#19

Exactly. Three putts should be the single most important thing golfers avoid. Next would be penalties.

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#20

Great feedback here. My process for as long as I can remember has been getting super focused on a line, trusting to envision the path of the ball to the hole. Reading the green, reading the putt, seeing the line, envisioning the path, both from behind the ball and while taking practice strokes and over the putt. Then at like the last second it’s like “Oh sh1t! How hard am I supposed to hit it on this line?!” And my speed control would be horrible.

The other day I played a round and changed this. Once I got the line, I thought of nothing but the speed, envisioning the perfect stroke to get the ball to die on the back edge of the hole. The result was glorious! It was such a freeing process. I felt so much more relaxed and comfortable and athletic and calm. Felt like a kid again! If you’re direction is as good as you can estimate and you don’t get overly concerned on that, and you hit a lot of putts with great speed, not only will you have less three putts but you might actually start making some 15-50 footers! So fun!

#21

Absolutely. I love this. I too have started worrying about the speed and distance instead of the line. More often than not, unless it’s just an obvious slope I will aim within a foot either side of the cup. Usually stays pretty close for that second putt. Frees you up a lot. And sometimes they fall in.

I think once I complete the AimPoint Express program I’ll understand reading the greens a lot better, but I’m not really good at it as it is. So instead of focusing on my poor green reading and putting that pressure on myself I just focus on speed.

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#22

Hitting putter flush in the center of the face is critical for speed control

Biggest thing I am working on currently

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